The Problem

FUN ISN'T A FEELING.
IT'S A PROCESS.

Most designers treat fun like lightning, hoping it strikes. That's why products fail. Fun has rules. Once you know them, you can engineer it every time.

🔁

The Loop Feels Empty

Players complete actions but don't feel rewarded. Retention craters. You add features hoping something sticks. Nothing does.

🎨

Creative Decisions Stall

Every mechanic debate turns into a team standoff. Nobody can explain why one choice is better than another. Gut feelings collide.

📉

Your Product Launched Wrong

You shipped something technically solid that players put down in five minutes. The metrics say something is broken. You don't know what.

🧭

No Framework, Just Chaos

There's no shared language for fun on your team. What I do is give you one, rooted in 20 years of shipping products across every platform that exists.

The Person Behind the Framework

JOE MARES.
20 YEARS. ONE OBSESSION.

I've spent two decades figuring out what makes things fun. Not as a theory but as a practice, across every platform that exists: mobile, VR, location-based entertainment, themed attractions, enterprise training.

I built Sinister Inn, a controller-free VR haunted house now running in 30+ countries that won USA Today's Best Theme Park Halloween Event in 2024. I led design at Talespin, building the org from scratch and serving clients like AT&T, Accenture, and Deloitte.

What I found is that fun isn't magic. It's a process. And once you understand the process, you can engineer it every time.

Work With Me →

Solutions

I HELP TEAMS FIND WHAT'S
BROKEN AND FIX IT

Before more time, money, and morale are lost. Three ways to work together. Pick the one that fits where you are right now.

1-Week Turnaround

Experience Readiness Audit

In 1 week, I'll evaluate your game, experience, or product and tell you whether it's fun, market-ready, and built to retain. You get a detailed report with actionable recommendations and a follow-up call where I walk you through exactly what to fix, what to kill, and what to double down on.

Full core loop & reward system analysis
Player psychology & emotional arc review
Written report with prioritized fixes
1-hour follow-up call to walk through findings

$4,500

For founders, indie studios, and design leads who need certainty before committing more time or money.

Book Your Audit →

Most Immediate Impact

1-Day Intensive

Spend a focused day with me inside the problem, together. We work in real time to unpack what's not working, pressure-test assumptions, and make decisions your team can actually commit to. I guide the conversation, challenge weak logic, and help translate instincts into shared clarity you can move on immediately.

Full-day working session (async or live)
Real-time pressure testing of your assumptions
Decision framework your team acts on same day
Summary doc delivered within 24 hours

$1,800

For teams who don't need a verdict. They need alignment..

Book a Day →

Ongoing Partnership

Fractional Design Director

I act as your on-demand design and creative lead: high-level guidance, strategy, and oversight to keep your project on track and delivering experiences that resonate. Weekly 90-minute check-ins, priority async access, and the kind of feedback that prevents costly missteps before they happen.

Weekly 90-minute strategic check-ins
Priority async access between sessions
Creative direction & design org oversight
Executive insight without a full-time hire

$10,000 / mo

For studios and product teams who want a design leader without the full-time overhead.

Let's Talk →

Need a speaker on games, creative leadership, or "fun"?

Speaking engagements, team workshops, and conference keynotes available.

Inquire About Speaking →

// Now Available

THE BOOK THAT
DEMYSTIFIES FUN

Fun isn't random. It has architecture. Blueprint for Fun is the framework I've spent 20 years developing, distilled into a tool every designer, developer, and creative leader can use starting today.

Understand why players put things down, and how to stop it
Give your team a shared language for making design decisions
Apply the same framework across games, VR, themed entertainment, and beyond
Make more authentic, innovative, and fun products

Buy on Amazon → Bulk / Team Orders

Results

WHAT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY SAY

"[Joe] has a remarkable understanding of player psychology, emotional engagement, and the core principles of fun. Over the course of just a month working together, Joe completely transformed my game's direction. He helped us streamline unnecessary features while refining the core mechanics to create a more engaging experience."

Anonymous Client

Indie Game Developer

"I got too caught up in some evil FarmVille monetizing paywall, and forgot games are about fun first. Joe inspired me to go back to that."

Jarred Davis

App Developer

"His empathy for the player guides his thinking on how to make a complex system feel intuitive to users, which creates great games that people love to play. Joe does what few people try: he poses the question, 'What makes something fun?' and the resulting deconstruction of fun into its components enables him to create successful experiences time and time again."

Lira Samanta

Content Manager

"Joe's confidence in identifying what makes a game fun shines through. We look forward to embedding his suggestions and observing how the market reacts."

Eli Jimenez

Studio Partner

"If you're working on an immersive experience, Joe can help make sure it's fun. Hire Joe."

Bob Cooney

Speaker · Author · B2B Influencer

"I can't help but recommend Joe. We've met multiple times now to discuss my upcoming indie game and his input has been invaluable."

Shannon Williams Jr.

DevOps Engineer, The Walt Disney Company

FAQ

COMMON
QUESTIONS

How can you improve my product?

Most commonly people are looking for a solution to an experience that doesn't feel exciting, fun, or engaging. I have identified and defined what makes a product truly fun, and I will show you exactly what you need to add, remove, or refine to serve the psychological needs of the audience and make it truly memorable and fun.

What do I walk away with if I work with you?

Depending on the package, you walk away with: insight no one else has, an audit of your experience, documentation on what to improve and how and why, and a fully developed and designed product. Check out the services section above for specifics on each engagement.

What if I already started my project, can you still help?

Yes, even if you're far down the road of development I can work with what you have, tell you how salvageable it is, and how to best proceed next. It's never too late to make it as fun as it can be. I can also help with business decisions regarding feasibility and help you decide if you need to pivot.

I just need one answer, not a whole redesign.

I spent over 20 years making stuff fun. I can most likely answer your question, no matter how nebulous it may seem.

Do you only work on games?

No. The framework applies anywhere fun matters: games, VR, themed entertainment, apps, training experiences, brand activations. If the goal is to make someone want to keep engaging, I can help.

CREATIVE
PARALYSIS
IS KILLING
YOUR PRODUCT

FUN ISN'T A FEELING.
IT'S A PROCESS.

JOE MARES.
20 YEARS. ONE OBSESSION.

I HELP TEAMS FIND WHAT'S
BROKEN AND FIX IT

THE BOOK THAT
DEMYSTIFIES FUN

WHAT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY SAY

WHO I
WORK WITH

AS SEEN &
HEARD

COMMON
QUESTIONS

CREATIVE PARALYSIS IS KILLING YOUR PRODUCT

FUN ISN'T A FEELING.IT'S A PROCESS.

JOE MARES.20 YEARS. ONE OBSESSION.

I HELP TEAMS FIND WHAT'SBROKEN AND FIX IT

THE BOOK THATDEMYSTIFIES FUN

WHAT PEOPLEACTUALLY SAY

WHO IWORK WITH

AS SEEN &HEARD

COMMONQUESTIONS

CREATIVE
PARALYSIS
IS KILLING
YOUR PRODUCT

FUN ISN'T A FEELING.
IT'S A PROCESS.

JOE MARES.
20 YEARS. ONE OBSESSION.

I HELP TEAMS FIND WHAT'S
BROKEN AND FIX IT

THE BOOK THAT
DEMYSTIFIES FUN

WHAT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY SAY

WHO I
WORK WITH

AS SEEN &
HEARD

COMMON
QUESTIONS